MF A5 Integrated + Lyngdorf SDAI 1275

[windup600]

I have the A5 integrated, but I cannot help wondering whether I might have made the wrong choice. Speakers are PMC FB1+. In particular, does anybody know how the Lyngdorf might sound with my speakers and whether it would be worth an audition? What are others experience of the A5?

[musicbox]

You should be able to get the Lyngdorf on money-back home trial basis so give it a go. I found it better than anything else for driving ATC passives but have not heard it with PMCs.

What speakerdoes IceHockeyBoy use his SDA 2175 with?

[Duvet]

Why do think you've boobed with your choice.

[Effem]

musicbox wrote:

What speakerdoes IceHockeyBoy use his SDA 2175 with?

Ice has got the PMC FB1's so would be worth asking him

[windup600]

I think that the quality of MF products has declined in recent years i.e. the build is not so great compared to my Triv-vista dac. Moreover, I wanted this integrated as an alternative to my valve based Eastern Electric amp based system, but really its just another class A/B amp as opposed to something particularly special. Also, I am sick of the MF marketing to be honest i.e. the A5 CD player is the best player ever made kind of thing. I guess I want something totally different to the valve sound as an alternative and the Lyngdorf seems to offer that. It seems a well engineered product as opposed to just another amp with a massiver transformer and cheaply produced circuit board in a heavy metal case.

[Effem]

I haven't had a good close up look at the new far east manufactured MF clobber, yet even in the photos I have seen they look rather lacklustre in build quality compared to the older kit. You are the first owner to have stated that is the case rather than the rumour factory comments I have heard so far.

You have two avenues open to you now regarding the Lyngdorf, as firstly you could ask Ice for his opinion about how it interacts with his PMC speakers and then maybe follow up with a phone call to David Rappaport at Lyngdorf who will happily answer any questions you may have

[Alex A]

I had an A5 power amp on trial, and had no quibbles with the build quality for the money at all. Possibly not *quite* as solid as the A308, and also certainly not as solid as the Tri-Vista/KW stuff, but you have to remember that even though the DAC was only £1400 retail, it still shared the same build quality as the flagship kit (albeit a smaller case). Whereas the A5 is MF's mid-range stuff.

I also rather liked the sound of the power amp, and would urge you not to just go an exchange it or sell what you have in a hurry. If you're unhappy, though, a home dem of a lyngdorf amp might well enlighten you.

[boseman]

I had the MF A5 kit and prior to that the MF A3.2.

Regarding build quality, the MF A5 felt like a minor step down from the A3.2, especially because the volume control on the A3.2 was smoother and better damped.

As a matter of fact, I had some minor problems with brand new, factory sealed kit:

• the A5 cd player had a veryminor defect in the finish of the cd drawer, which looked like a scratch;
• one of the two A5 power amps I bought had a dodgy on/off switch, which kept sticking to the on position and had to be replaced (and was done so by dealer).

All of the A5 kit had the same on/off switch but each switch had a completely different feel to the next - some need to be pushed hard, some were very, very light to use - and this didn't really say much for MF's quality control.

It's a good job I was offered a good trade-in on the pwr amps and the rest of my kit sold on eBay.

I should add that I did like the MF sound butI had the usual bout of upgradivitis and in the end I really had to spend quite a bit more for the sound that was an upgrade to my ears.

Soundwise I think MF are quite good, although I am not too keen onbuying newMF products again.MF products aren't exactly cheap so I'm not prepared totolerate poor quality control.


ANYWAY, I think IceHockeyBoy moved from MF to Lyngdorf so his opinion should be worth a listen.

Although I have yet to hear the Lyngdorf,I have to say, the A5 to the Lyngdorf just sounds like sidegrading to me...

[icehockeyboy]

Hi boys, i can honestly say, that my Lyngdorf SDA2175/ PMC FB1 combo is absolutely wonderful!, now having added the Minimax, its nothing less than brilliant,anyway, enough under exaggerating from me, to the serious stuff:

Having had quite a bit of MF kit, in fact i nearly bought an A5 power amp to partner the 3.2 pre and cdp, fortunately as it transpires, it fell through, and it wasnt until i took a "leap of faith" with the Lyngdorf that i realized , (1), i had become blinkered to other brands except MF, and (2) there is other kit out there that blows it away, and not necessarily more expensive.

The 2 latest additions to my set up (Minimax and Lyngdorf) cost less than buying MF 3.5 kit, but is FAR FAR superior, and putting the FB 1's into the equation has produced a system sounding lots more expensive than it actually cost.

Buy without hesitation!


Added;When i was using the 3.2 combo, i had to use my Rel sub to get decent bass, i put it down to the speakers, not being as good "down below" as everyone suggested they would be, with the Lyngdorf it wasnt needed, it really exceeds any of the amps ive heard so far, and ive heard quite a few!

I know youre enquiring about the integrated, but they (power and int) both have the same power amp.

[boseman]

icehockeyboy wrote:

Buy without hesitation!

I bet you sell without hesitation in about4 weeks! &

[icehockeyboy]

boseman wrote:

icehockeyboy wrote:

Buy without hesitation!

I bet you sell without hesitation in about4 weeks! &

Bet i / he doesnt. its a stunning amp Vastly under priced!

[Alex A]

icehockeyboy wrote:

I know youre enquiring about the integrated, but they (power and int) both have the same power amp.

That's not true. The power amp has twice as many output transistors, and a more generous and dedicated power supply (I think the power amp box actually looks 'full' which is rare for the A5 kit). Yes the circuit is very similar, and the wattage output is very similar (think the power is 5W more into 8 ohms), but the peak to peak current rises from 75 to 200 amps.

In effect, the power sounds a lot more fun to me Note that I still didn't chose to buy one, but what I did buy was 2nd hand and cost 4x the price new.

[icehockeyboy]

Alex, which brand are you referring to MF or Lyngdorf, because as i understand it, the integrated Lyng, uses the same poweramp as in the stand alone power amp. Apologies if im wrong tho'

Just been on the Lyngdorf website, which is where i gleaned the info from, it seems im correct, so maybe threads have been crossed, and you were commenting on MF?

[Emma Royd]

Effem wrote:

I haven't had a good close up look at the new far east manufactured MF clobber, yet even in the photos I have seen they look rather lacklustre in build quality compared to the older kit. You are the first owner to have stated that is the case rather than the rumour factory comments I have heard so far.

Asfar as I'm aware the MF kit is still assembled in the UK and only the casing,chassis etc are manufactured in the far -east,can anyone confirm?

[earl of sodbury]

Emma Royd wrote:

Effem wrote:

I haven't had a good close up look at the new far east manufactured MF clobber, yet even in the photos I have seen they look rather lacklustre in build quality compared to the older kit. You are the first owner to have stated that is the case rather than the rumour factory comments I have heard so far.

Asfar as I'm aware the MF kit is still assembled in the UK and only the casing,chassis etc are manufactured in the far -east,can anyone confirm?

All of my X-series kit is "Made in Taiwan" - suspect that'll be true of all of it.

Current MF kit us UTTERLY hamstrung by using ultra-cheap components - just changing a few critical electrolytic capacitors for ones of the same value and costing around a quid a piece has doubled my system's performance. If MF did this they would be a LOT more popular with buyers than currently.

churz, eofs

[Alex A]

icehockeyboy wrote:

Alex, which brand are you referring to MF or Lyngdorf, because as i understand it, the integrated Lyng, uses the same poweramp as in the stand alone power amp. Apologies if im wrong tho'

Just been on the Lyngdorf website, which is where i gleaned the info from, it seems im correct, so maybe threads have been crossed, and you were commenting on MF?

Oh yea I was talking about the MF. Apologies for the confusion.

[Emma Royd]

My MF phono stage is made in Taiwan,whichmakes my comment invalid,however I have been told that some of the kit is assembled here.

But if they're using cheapo parts,defeats the object somewhat.Cannot understand why some manufacturers use cheaper parts,when for a few quid more(as you have proven)the performance is improved.

Afterall the MF phono at £245 would'nt be a big deal at £275(as a figure) to improve performance level.Hope I'm making sense here.

[Effem]

Hi-fi isn't made by designers, it's made by accountants and the numbers they allow to produce the product

Any industry you may care to name is riding that samebandwagon and a prime example of that is the food you buy in the supermarkets. Whenever you see a product emblazoned with the words "NEW IMPROVED RECIPE" it's a coded way of saying "WE HAVE FOUND A WAY TO MAKE MORE PROFIT" because either they make it physically smaller, or they have found some new cheap grunge to pad out the ingredients so they save £0.0001p per unit. Per unit that isn't much to get excited about, but apply that to 10 million units and that is someloot you have saved on costs.

What makes me smile is when I see the words like "CONTAINS REAL STRAWBERRIES" and I have a mental picture of a 1 zillion gallon vat of yoghurt or whatever and some white coated guy tossing 2 genuine finely minced strawberries into the vat and saying "Yep, the real strawberries are in there now"

[godlau]

Well....all my small X's and A5 are made in Taiwan (....and MF emphaised 'Designed by Musical Fidelity in England', yeah right.)



Lyngdorf ...I hv yet to hear in actual but had know someone owns one and he's a happy bunny(this guy is a 'digital-affectionado'......hm...)

Effem wrote:

Hi-fi isn't made by designers, it's made by accountants and the numbers they allow to produce the product

some of it is yes

some of it isn't take emotions designed to do a job, then costed, mercedes used to work this way to, when they went to project cost rather than design the product then cost, look what happened to their bombproof reputation.